Should You Remove or Repair an Overgrown Cedar Hedge?

The one rule that decides it: cedars do not regrow from bare wood

Eastern white cedar only grows new foliage from green growth. Cut past the green into bare brown wood and that patch usually stays bare. That is why an overgrown hedge cannot simply be cut back to size in one go.

As a rule of thumb, about a quarter of the height can come off the top, and in many cases only around an eighth of the width can come off the sides. Take more than that and the damage can be permanent. Compare that with how far your hedge has to come back to see whether trimming is realistic.

A quick checklist: can this hedge be saved?

Walk the length of the hedge and answer these honestly:

• Is there green on the sides? Look at the foliage from the side, not the top. A hedge with a thick green face can be cut back a little. A hedge that is green only in a thin outer skin cannot.
• Is it bare inside and at the bottom? Lower branches that have shaded out rarely come back.
• How much has to come off? If the cut would go beyond about a quarter of the height or an eighth of the width, the hedge is unlikely to recover.
• Is it thinning year after year? If it is getting worse despite good watering, it is on its way out. Our guide to why a cedar hedge turns brown helps separate winter burn and dry-out, which can recover, from decline that will not.
• Is it dead or dying along long stretches? Whole sections of dead foliage do not come back.
• Does it block a path, driveway, view or fence? If it has outgrown its space, trimming for years has not fixed it.

When trimming and care are enough

If the hedge is thick, green on the faces and only a little too big, trim off the new growth once a year and keep it narrower at the top than the bottom. Water deeply, especially in fall before freeze-up. See when to trim a cedar hedge and the cedar hedge care guide.

A hedge with some winter burn or dry-out can also come back. Wait for spring growth before judging it.

When removal is the better choice

Removal makes sense when the hedge is too large to cut back safely, is mostly bare inside, has dead or thinning sections, or has simply reached the end of its life. A weak hedge costs time every year and still does not give privacy.

Removing a cedar hedge properly means more than cutting it down:

• Taking out the trees and the stumps so the area can be replanted, sodded or turned into a garden.
• Checking the grade. The ground under an old hedge can end up uneven, and topsoil may be needed to level it.
• Cleaning up all the debris.
• Checking the rules. A large hedge with trees mixed in can fall under the City of Ottawa's Tree Protection By-law, so check before removing anything big.

Plan the replacement before the removal

Decide what goes in next: a new hedge, a fence, or open lawn. If it is a new cedar hedge, space the trees about 18 to 24 inches apart (see how far apart to plant a cedar hedge) and plant in spring or early fall (best time to plant). Hedge King's hedge replacement service removes the old hedge and replants in one job.

Need the hedge removed?

Need hedge removal in Ottawa? Call Hedge King at 613-265-0908 or get a free quote for hedge removal. We will tell you honestly whether trimming can save it first.